1 John 2:15 - 17

So John has been giving us benchmarks or tests to make sure that our relationship with Christ real and growing. Verses 3 - 9 John began by stating “by this we know that we know Him..”

By keeping His commandments

By walking as He walked

By loving our brother. The new commandment “that you love one another as I have loved you..”

In all these he gave the negative with the positive test.

Next John gave his spiritual report card in speaking to the various stages of Christian growth.

So today we continue with John giving admonishments for living in the world and dealing with our flesh.

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Verse 15  Do not love the world or the things in the world.

The word for world is kosmos. What is the English word that sounds like? Cosmos. To us us that means the universe as in the Heavens.

The Greek word also means that but much more.

an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government

ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars, 'the heavenly hosts', as the ornament of the heavens.

the world, the universe

the circle of the earth, the earth

the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family

the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ

world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly

the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ

In this case the meaning is the world system. The way things of the natural man operate; in terms of the political, social, and governmental.

Interestingly the word for love is agapaō. This is in the imperative meaning absolutely do not in any way love, meaning - to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing.

Remember, we are not of this world. Our real home is yet to come. Paul said in For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

He follows with the negative reality. If we are well pleased and content with this world, the love of the Father is not in him. So, to say it differently, the love of this worlds system and the love of God are not compatible.

If you don’t feel at home here that’s good.

V16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

He begins with all.. that Greek word for all is pas or pan. Pan-, a prefix from the Greek πᾶν, pan, meaning "all", "of everything", or "involving all members" of a group.

So in other words the world is all about seduction. Kind of like a living commercial. This verse gives us the method used over and over to suck people in. the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life

The word for lust means -desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust.

Note: not all desire is bad.

The word flesh is sarx. We get our word sarcophagus.

flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones and is permeated with blood) of both man and beasts

the body

the body of a man

used of natural or physical origin, generation or relationship

born of natural generation

the sensuous nature of man, "the animal nature"

a living creature (because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast

the animal nature with cravings which incite to sin

the physical nature of man as subject to suffering

the flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God

Next its the the lust of the eyes.

Lust is the same word here again. Eyes in Greek is ophthalmos. We get all kinds of eye related words from this - ophthalmic, ophthalmologist, Optic etc.

So remember here the lust is - desire for what is forbidden, lust. Interestingly as men we are very visually stimulated, much more than women.

You can see why pornography is so insidious. We are drawn to big TV screens.

The last of the three is and the pride of life. Pride is from the Greek word meaning :

empty, braggart talk

an insolent and empty assurance, which trusts in its own power and resources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws and human rights

an impious and empty presumption which trusts in the stability of earthly things

Obviously, desire, seeing, and pride in and of their selves are not bad but in the the context of the world system we can see this pattern demonstrated in the Bible and in our own lives.

 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.

Almost all advertisements use this formula.

 And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”

The word for life here is bios. As in our biosphere or biology. The Greek word means life as in your way of life or everyday life. There is another word for life Zoe it pertains to being alive, or a living creature.

So pride of life here means gives you something to brag about as being better than others.

When we examine the things that we own or care about a lot of it is not of the Father.

V17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

We used to say it all gonna burn.. but only whats done for Christ will last.